Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed he was briefed by the club that its decision to cut 60 jobs was designed to help the Gunners "achieve the success we want to create."
Chief executive Richard Garlick notified staff this week that roles across several departments would be eliminated. The redundancies are expected to affect up to 7 percent of Arsenal's 871 permanent employees, with cuts limited to off-the-field positions.
Coaching staff, performance staff, and personnel working within the men's and women's setups will be spared. Employees at the Arsenal Foundation, Arsenal in the Community, and the security team are also exempt from the changes.
A review already under way
An external company had been conducting a workforce review before Arsenal's Premier League title triumph last season — the club's first top-flight crown since 2004. The review's findings now underpin the redundancy decisions.
The cuts were announced just one week after Arteta signed a new four-year contract. The 44-year-old's revised deal raised his annual salary above the previous £10m-a-year figure, with an additional £5m available in bonuses.
Arteta defers to club leadership
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest, Arteta was initially reluctant to address the matter, stating: "this question is not for me." He did, however, offer a short explanation of what he had been told.
"It was explained to me about the exercise, and the analysis that has been done across the club, and with the intention always to evolve, to improve. Some decisions have to be taken to put people in the right roles, and keep investing, to achieve what we want to achieve, the success that we want to create. That has been explained."
He added: "Obviously, I am not the right person to answer that question. That's for sure. And hopefully everybody will respect that."
Record revenues, narrow loss
Arsenal disclosed in February that the club posted record revenues of £691m for the 2024-25 financial year, though they still recorded an overall loss of £1.4m. Operating costs climbed to £200.8m, up from £147.9m in the previous financial year.
